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“Forty minutes?” Kate said and then sat down on the glider rocking chair she used to nurse Sophie at night. She pulled open her nursing nightgown and gave Sophie the breast, getting her latched on and feeding in short order. However, Sophie still struggled to nurse because of her stuffy nose. She cried in between gasps for air, and between coughs.
“She’s having a hard time nursing,” Kate said and looked at me in alarm.
I took Sophie once more and suctioned her nose again, before handing her back and sure enough, that worked. Sophie was now able to nurse without any problem. The two settled in and Kate began to rock back and forth slowly. I watched for a while, then went back to the bedroom and pulled on my robe and watch, and retrieved my cell. I went back to check on them, as Kate was changing breasts, and I stood in the doorway.
“Do you want me to get you anything to drink?”
Kate glanced up. “What time is it?”
I checked my watch. “Four-thirty.”
“Maybe some water,” Kate said. “She’ll go back to sleep soon.”
I went downstairs to the kitchen and poured Kate a glass of water and decided to stop and check my emails on my cell. I had twenty-two new emails.
I checked the main email for my Drake Morgan, MD account and there, the second from the bottom, was an email from Maureen’s mom, Brenda Becker.
FROM: Becker, Brenda
TO: Morgan, Drake MD
RE: Visit
Hey, Drake, hope this finds you well. Maureen is out of town and will be away for the next week if you want to come by and spend some time with Liam. Call me.
Brenda
I replied right away even though I knew Brenda wouldn't see it until later in the morning.
FROM: Morgan, Drake MD
TO: Becker, Brenda
RE: RE: Visit
Hi, Brenda – thanks so much for writing and offering. I would love to spend some time with Liam. At the moment, Sophie's sick with a cold so Kate will probably stay home with her, but I'll be glad to pop by. Where’s Maureen?
Cheers,
Drake
Then, I sent it off, glad at the chance to see Liam. I hoped to be able to spend time with him, but Maureen seemed reluctant to arrange anything in advance. I wondered if she had gone to Borneo to be with Chris, which meant that she wanted to get back together with him. I hoped not – I did not want her taking Liam out of the country, especially not to a place like Borneo.
I was reluctant to go the legal route, wanting to create as much good will with Maureen as possible and I didn’t think forcing the issue was the way to do that. So, I held off applying for shared custody.
I may have to rethink it if Maureen was even seriously thinking of moving to Borneo to be with Chris.
There was nothing to do about it until Brenda returned my email, so I went back upstairs to Sophie’s room. Kate was laying her back down in her crib, and Sophie had her pacifier in her mouth and was sucking away much more easily, her eyes closed already. Kate tucked the light blanket around Sophie and then glanced quickly at me.
“That’s not too warm, is it? That blanket?”
I shook my head and leaned down beside Kate, helping to tuck in the blanket.
“No, she should be fine. The Tylenol will kick in soon and she has only a light onesie on. We don’t want her to be cold. If she has a fever, she’ll feel chilled and will be uncomfortable. The light blanket will keep her warm enough.”
Kate nodded and together, we stood and watched in the dim bedroom lit only by a Peter Pan nightlight, stars twinkling on the ceiling from the lampshade. I took Kate’s arm and pulled her out of the room. She stopped me in the doorway, and I knew she was reluctant to leave.
“She’s fine,” I said, trying to comfort Kate, whom I knew would be on high alert because of Sophie’s fever.
